Urban Le Verrier he was one of 72 scientists on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. It was the fourth, on the west side. He was a French mathematician specializing in celestial mechanics. His most important achievement was his collaborative discovery of Neptune using only mathematics and data from previous astronomical observations. The feats that he had in the world of mathematics and astronomical observations were numerous.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you all the Biography and discoveries of Urbain Le Verrier.
Biography of Urbain Le Verrier
Urbain-Jean-Joseph LeVerrier, astronomer, born March 11, 1811 in Saint-Lô (Stain). He died in Paris on September 23, 1877, the anniversary of the most significant event in his life. In fact, it was on September 23, 1846 that he first saw the existence and position of Neptune in the sky at the Berlin Observatory. He entered the Polytechnic in 1831, graduating with the title of Engineer from the National Tobacco Factory.
Some of his laboratory research was published in the Annals of Physics and Chemistry. In 1837 he was appointed tutor of the Geodesy and Machines course at the Ecole Polytechnique, succeeding Savary, who died in 1839, after two years as professor. Le Verrier remains unknown. However, research on the stability of the solar system and the determination of the limits in which major planetary orbits must oscillate relative to each other's inclinations caught Arago's attention, and Arago urged him to continue his new research and decided to pursue astronomical observations.
Discoveries of Urbain Le Verrier
Verrier used this support to refine the Mercury theory, paying particular attention to periodic comets. These works opened the doors of the Academy on January 19, 1846, where he succeeded Count Cassini, the last of the glorious and long Cassini dynasty, who in 207 (from 1625 to 1832) explains the science of astronomy, geography and botany.
It was at this time that Urbain Le Verrier, with sheer computing power, began the theory of Uranus, the great work that led to the discovery of Neptune. This is one of the best efforts of the human mind which can still be studied today. This discovery has just immortalized its name. For years, Uranus has left astronomers in despair, unable to determine its location, despite talented scientists like Laplace and Delambre working on the matter.
In the irregularities of the rogue star's motion and uncertainty, the difference is enormous. Verrier adheres to this solution. He formed equations relating the masses and elements of unknown planetary orbits to the characteristic perturbations of Uranus. He managed to adjust the runaway star's coordinates so they were pretty close together, it fixed them at a particular time and then gradually specified exactly where we could see the planet at any given time.
This prediction made sense, on the same day September 23, 1846, Mr. Galle in Berlin, upon receiving the message, pointed his telescope at the point in the sky indicated by Le Verrier. There he saw the announced planet and gave it the name of Neptune, which he maintained despite Arago's verbal and written protests, and wanted to baptize it with the name of its author. The discovery caused a stir, with honors and congratulations everywhere, falling like a swarm of shooting stars on the young astronomer, for whom the government of Luis Felipe created a professor of astronomy at the Faculty of Sciences in Paris.
Memoirs and exploits of Urbain Le Verrier
Le Verrier's memoirs of Neptune were published in the Knowledge of the Times in 1849. Reading it, we were struck by how far-sighted it took to arrive at such a result using numbers alone. This gives us an idea of the power of computing and its permanence. After Arago's death in 1853, Verrier was appointed director of the Paris Observatory. He created the port alarm service, the sailor's blessing, the agricultural dispatch that now covers all of France and remains the most reliable research base, fraught with future and unforeseen consequences with great changes in the environment.
It also established a weather service to warn aircraft when they take off from the ground in the direction of the wind. We were lucky enough to make the first ascent in a giant balloon in Brussels on September 24, 1864, in the presence of King Leopold I at the Schaerbeek gate, in front of the magnificent botanical garden. In 1804 he founded the French Scientific Association, which within a few years merged with the Association for the Advancement of Science. A member of Congress, a senator, and a noted astronomer, he seems to have been happy to associate his name with the genius of discovery. On June 25, 1889, a statue was erected at Le Verrier in the courtyard of the Paris Observatory, after which a street near the institution was named.
Other findings
Le Verrier's findings are often confirmed by new discoveries. So, at the meeting of the Academy of Sciences on November 18, 1889, we heard a communication from M. Faye about Comet Winnek. The motion of this star is used to determine the masses of Jupiter and Venus. The value of the last element is exactly what Le Verrier deduced from his lengthy calculations. This verification is a remarkable fact that further enhances the glory of brilliant astronomers working in very difficult conditions.
Le Verrier's eulogy was published by MM. JB Dumas, Janssens, Tresca, Faye, Joseph Bertrand, and Yvon Villarceau. The portrait above was created after Daverdoing's 1846 painting, the moment it was discovered 35 years after it immortalized Le Verrier's name. Pradier made a very beautiful bust of Le Verrier in 1850.
As you can see, this scientist was quite important at the time and his story still persists today. I hope that with this information you can learn more about Urbain Le Verrier and his exploits.